Graphic Novels

I'm not really that familiar with graphic novels or comic books. I've never really read comics or anything besides in the newspaper. I'm not necessarily opposed to them, they just haven't really interested me or caught my attention.

My first impression of Persepolis is that it looks pretty interesting. I think it is cool how it is based off of her childhood and it is also a novel about coming of age and growing up. That follows our theme throughout the quarter so it will be interesting to see Satrapi's take on coming of age.

The End of Jane Eyre

The ending of Jane Eyre was surprising in some ways but very interesting. first off, it was really weird that the house Jane ended up at was that of her cousins. I mean, that house has been that close to Thornfield the entire time and she never heard of these people? I don't know, I thought it was kind of odd. But Jane didn't stay long. I kind of figured that Jane would end up going back to Thornfield to see Rochester because she loved him too much to just leave and never think about him again. It was the circumstances that she returned that surprised me. I did not see it coming when I found out that Bertha got out of her cage and decided to burn down the whole house. I knew she was capable of doing something that crazy, but I just didn't expect her to set fire to Thornfield. In the process of the house burning down, Rochester went blind and lost a hand. I thought that was kind of weird to add into the story because it didn't really have a purpose for being there. So that partially sums up the rest of the book. I really enjoyed Jane Eyre and thought it was good.

Wrongs of Passage

After reading Sydney's view on the different rites of passage we experience, I do agree with her. I think for it to be considered a rite of passage, someone needs to have that separation stage followed by a transition and then be incorporated back into society as a "new" person. Rites of passage should give value to something and bring people together, but our idea of these passages revolve too much around the money and extravagent things. We need to get the focus back on the values that everyone should have.

One rite of passage that I've recently gone through was turning 18. I'm not sure if this was really a positive or negative thing. Honestly, it was just another day. The only difference is that I am now legally responsible for my actions and I realize that it is on my back and my parents aren't going to accept those responsibilities or consequences anymore, it's all on me. That was really the only big change for me. Other than that, not a whole lot is different. I didn't have some huge party or do anything major.

Jane Eyre: The Movie

Well we've started watching the Jane Eyre movie and I'm not really sure how I feel about it yet. I've noticed quite a few things that are different in the movie, but there are still similarities.

Some of the similarities that I've noticed so far:
-Jane is close to Bessie.
-She tells off Mrs. Reed as she leaves Gateshead.
-Jane is accused of lying and is shunned at school.
-She leaves Lowood to become a governess.

Some of the differences I've noticed so far:
-She was never sent to the red room at Gateshead.
-Once at Lowood, she was never punished and sent out to walk in the rain with Helen.
-Where is Mrs. Temple?
-In the movie, she says she's been at Lowood for eight years, but never teaches there.
-The crazy laugh from upstairs is high pitched and witch-like, but the book says it's low and loud.

Those are just some of the comparisons I noticed but I'm sure there were some that I didn't catch. What other things did you see?

Relating Back to Catcher in the Rye

So this weekend I watched the movie Pretty Woman. It was on t.v. and my mom came across it, so I sat down and watched it. I don't know how many of you have ever seen it, but there was one point in the movie that made me think back to Holden.

If you haven't seen the movie, it's about this wealthy businessman, Edward Lewis, who hires a prostitute named Vivian Ward on Sunset Blvd to bring along to the numerous business events he needs to attend. I won't say anymore in case you haven't seen it, but there was one part that I related back to Holden.

The night that he brought her back to his hotel room, Edward was pretty uncomfortable with the whole situation. He wasn't really that interested in doing what you hire prostitutes to do. Vivian was putting herself out there for him, but all he did was ask her if she wanted to talk. Sound familiar? When I saw that clip, I thought back to Holden right away and about how he had the prostitute in his room to do whatever they wanted to do, and all he wanted to do was talk. So I found the situation of the two guys very similar.

Reflections on Jane Eyre

1) I think I would probably end up staying with him. Jane is very in love with Rochester and if I were, in her position, I wouldn't be able to just walk away from him. I think if the circumstances were different, then she'd have more of a reason to leave and be done with him, but it's not completely his fault.

2) I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would. At first, I thought I wouldn't like it because of the writing style and the language. But once I started reading it and the story started picking up, I wanted to keep reading. I got used to the writing style and that made it a lot easier to read. I think one thing that really made the book as good as it was, is Jane's personality. It's interesting to keep reading about her and what she's going to do, because she acts differently then the typical governess is supposed to. She has a lot of independence.

3) I do think this book should continue to be taught in College Literature. It gives us a new perspective on reading, one that many of us haven't really experienced. The writing style is different and at times difficult to understand, but that's the point. This is a class that is meant to prepare us for the readings we will face in college and I think Jane Eyre is a good book to help expose us to that reading level.

Jane Eyre: Social Classes

          Throughout Jane Eyre, we see the common theme of social class. It's everywhere! We see Jane's side, being the poor orphan who has no social status and then we also see the other side with the people she lives with. Bronte did a good job of portraying what it was like living in the Victorian times.  Since Jane was sent to Lowood as a child she learned her manners, education, and discipline -all things the typical aristocrat were expected to know. But being a governess, she was still considered to be part of the servant or lower class. Back then, social class pretty much determined everything. With the position Jane was in, she didn't really have any power anywhere she went. Her understanding of this double standard became evident when she started having feelings for Rochester because they were obviously from two seperate classes. While she contains the knowledge and the manners to match Rochester, they are not socially equal.
          An example from the book where Jane speaks out about social prejudice was in chapter 23 when she said to Rochester, "Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you—and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you."
          Social class had such a major impact on the lives of people living in the Victorian era. It played a part in pretty much everything. Today, its not as important to us. Sure, it plays its part in some situations, but it doesn't have quite the same impact on us.